Epona's Chosen
by Kethaliaspeth
Summary: Rated R for later chapters. This is the story of Tellina. While being attacked she comes across her terrifying new powers. Can she cope? R/R NO FLAMERS!!..Oh yeah...I suck at spelling!!
1. Default Chapter

Chapter 1  
  
"Why can't you remember what you're supposed to do every day?" Tellina was patiently telling the servants what to do - for about the millionth time. She had to remind them at least four times a day what they're duties were.  
  
Tellina was a noblewoman living in Valdemar. Her father didn't have to work - everyone worked for him. She was 14 with long slender legs and a rather wild streak. Tellina was a decendant of the Ashkevron household. Although she did not inherit Herald - mage Vanyel Ashkevron's sexual prefrences, she did inherit his startling silver eyes and hair so black it accually had blue highlights. Tellina also did not inherit Vanyel's vainess - she spent hours every day rididng her horse and practice fighting with the boys. Tellina obviously didn't care if she stayed clean for long. But she knew that she had better be clean in time for dinner - and in time to meet the different men that her father wanted her to marry.  
  
Tellina finally walked out the kitchen door into the Great Hall. From here she exited the door to the left and started down the hall to her bedchamber. When she got there Tellina closed and locked the door. She lit the candles on the always lit tallow dip by the door and placed them in there sconces. She then opened her wordrobe in search of something sutable to wear that night for dinner. After a moment of carful consideration she settled on a midnight blue gown with a shimmer woven into the fabric. It accented her hair perfectly, bringing out her blue highlights.  
  
When Tellina finished dressing she headed towards the great hall. With a sigh she assumed her place next to her father at the table. Tellina noticed three new faces at the feast. All three male. All three looking at her as if she were a prize to be won.  
  
Tellina sighed again. Why does father continually try to find suiters for me? She thought, I'll decide who I'm gonna marry - that is if I marry. Tellina stumbled through dinner painfully aware of four sets of eyes on, one of them her own father's. All four of them hungry for something other than food.  
  
Oh gods, Tellina thought, father's had too much wine again. Well he's not getting anything from me. All I want to do is get away.  
  
If her mother was alive she would satisfy her father's hunger. She died when Tellina was very young. Tellina guessed that her fathers' hunger stemmed from the fact that she looked so much like her mother.  
  
When dinner was over Tellina hurried to her room hoping to avoid her fathers three guests. She finnaly got to her room and changed into lose breeches and a sleevless smallshirt.  
  
Tellina yawned not bothering to stiffle it. Sleep was already starting to overwhelm her. She crawled into bed and slowly relaxed each muscle starting at her toes. She was almost overcome when she heard a soft rustling sound. Then she felt a tremendous pressure over her entire body. She opened her eyes and came face to face with.....  
  
.....another set of eyes! 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
Tellina tryed to scream but found there was and hand clamped over her mouth preventing her from doing what she intended. She looked down and saw the glint of metal in the moonlight. Tellina tryed to struggle.  
  
"If you don't stop and give me what I want.......I'll kill you," a masculine voice said. He took his hand off her mouth long enough for Tellina to answer.  
  
"What do you want?" Tellina managed to wisper.  
  
"You," came the reply.  
  
Tellina wimperd involentaraly and started quaking with fear.  
  
"I told you.......don't move," the man said bringing the dagger down to her shoulder and peircing it. The wound was deep and hot, sticky blood ran down her arm and soaked into the bedcovers.  
  
Just then there was a bright light in the center of the room. They both looked to see what it was.  
  
Tellina looked into the light and saw, not her room, but a grassy plain that seemed to go on for ages. She looked back at her captor and saw that he was preoccupied with the strange light. Tellina seized up all her strength and pushed. She succeded in throwing him to the floor.  
  
Now that the man was in the light, Tellina reconized him as one of the guests at the feast.  
  
Lord and Lady, Tellina swore, No wonder I didn't hear him come in.  
  
Tellina jumped from the bed and landed on the intruder. She used her hand-to-hand combat skills to break and bloody his nose.  
  
Good thing I insisted on learning how to fight, Tellina thought.  
  
All of a sudden something huge wedged itself between them. Tellina saw more and more blood by the moment.  
  
Tellina stumbled back. Now that she could see the beast, Tellina saw that it was a horrible combination of dog and snake. It had long, sharp teeth and claws.  
  
She gasped remembering one of her ancesters stories that told of a creature like this. It was a wyrsa : a monster from the Dorisha Plains!  
  
Just when the wyrsa turned on her, Tellina jumped onto the bed and then leaped and grasped the chandelier that hung from the high ceiling. She swung her legs up and around it so that the wyrsa couldn't get to her.  
  
After what felt like an eternity, Tellina's legs began tiring very rapidly. They swung down despite her efforts to keep them up. Her hands began to sweat. They started slipping.  
  
"Oh gods," Tellina pleaded aloud.  
  
Just as she couldn't hold on any longer, Tellina looked down and saw the wyrsa getting ready to pounce. She felt a srange power welling up inside her. She glared at the beast and it suddenly burst into falames. Her skin began to ache like she had a sevire sunburn. Then she heard a neigh. Then the door was pushed open. The wyrsa was smoldering silently below her. By this time the strange light had gone away and Tellina could no longer see the grassy plain.  
  
Tellina looked towards the door and saw a radiant glow.  
  
Not another bedamned light, Tellina thought.  
  
A voice somewhere inside her head said :I Choose you. I love you and I will never leave you. : It was a feminine voice and Tellina found herself falling into a pool of love, trust, joy, and an overwhelming feeling that she would never feel lonely again. With it came a feeling of being accepted no matter what she had done in the past. 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 When Tellina came out of the trance, she found that she did indeed have the strengh - though not much - to hold on a little longer. And she realized that what had spoken in her head was a Companion. Her Companion - an unworldly spirit that chose to be in a horses body.  
  
Epona - was that her name? - cantered over. Ashes smearing under her hooves and staining the stone floor. The spirit positioned herself directly under her and stood as still as a statue. Tellina hesitated.  
  
:Go ahead......you won't hurt me : said the voice.  
  
Tellina closed her eyes and let go. She stealed herself for the fall. Tellina landed surprizingly smooth on the Companion's back. Epona turned and headed for the door.  
  
"Oh no......what will father say?" Tellina asked thinking of a Companionin the Great Hall, but not really expecting an answer.  
  
:Hopefully he will be glad you're alright : came the reply.  
  
Tellina started not really understanding this way of comunicating. She new her Great - great - great - Grandfather had used it at his time, but she never thought that she might acually have Heraldic Gifts.  
  
Epona clamored down the hallway and into the feasting area. She stoped when they had come up beside Tellina's father.  
  
"Father....there was a strange light in my bedchamber. It looked somewhat like a portal......As you can see...I have been Chosen," said Tellina looking down at her father. "I shall be leaving and going to Havan........Goodbye Father."  
  
With that they both turned and went out the right exit that went into the gardens. Since Tellina's father's keep was not far from Havan - only half a days hard riding by regular horse - they would get there before midnight.  
  
It was only now that Tellina acknowleged the would on her shoulder. She tore a strip from her shirt to try and stop the blood flow.  
  
:You really do need a Healer for that....Do you think you can ride? :Epona asked.  
  
"Yes......I think I can," Tellina replied.  
  
Epona flew over the ground as if she were in the air. Tellina had to grip hard with her knees and grab on to Epona's mane to keep from slipping off. If Epona kept up this grueling pace they would be at Havan in about a candlemark.  
  
Tellina groaned at the sering pain in her shoulder. After a while the pain started ebbing away. Tellina realized this was due to her Companion.  
  
:Thank you : Tellina thought at the form beneath her. She to prioccupied trying to keep her teeth from rattling around in her head to try and talk.  
  
:No problem.....that's what I'm here for, Chosen : Epona said.  
  
After what seemed like seconds they arrived at the city gate. The guard on the wall nodded them in, they were evidently used to Companions coming and going. When they entered the city, Tellina was assalted from all four sides with sound and smell. For although it was night, the streets were still very much alive. Tellina could only imagine what it was like in the day time becouse her father always prohibited her from going. 


End file.
